TiO2 nanomaterials: Highly active catalysts for the oxidation of hydrocarbons

•TiO2 nanomaterials are active catalysts for the oxidation of hydrocarbons.•The activities are influenced by the nature of the catalyst.•Catalyst's surface area, crystalline phase and morphology are important aspects.•These catalytic systems do not require the presence of noble metals.•Our catalyst could be recycled for at least five runs during cyclohexene oxidation.

TiO2 nanomaterials (nanoparticles, nanotubes and nanofibers) are active and selective heterogeneous catalysts for the oxidation of hydrocarbons under mild, solvent-free conditions. In addition, the reported results suggest that activities are not only related to the specific surface area of the catalysts, but that they can also be explained by the type of crystalline structure and surface morphology. Indeed, higher conversions and selectivity (up to 86% and 90%, respectively) were obtained in the oxidation of cyclohexene using TiO2 rutile. Interestingly, these efficient catalytic systems do not require the presence of noble metals to achieve significant activities.

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